Ad Astra
by AnadoraBlack
Summary: [Spoilers for Age of Ultron] [Full summary inside] A Scarlet Witch-centric fic set after the movie. Or how to trust others when you can read their minds and see their lies... With a bit of pain and depression on top. Wanda/Vision one-sided; Wanda/Simon Williams ON HIATUS
1. Grief

_**Full summary: **After the death of her brother, Wanda Maximoff is left alone in a hostile world. Joining the Avengers, she learns to trust again, to make friends and maybe more, all the while trying to find a way to bring Pietro back to life..._

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_A/N: Hello readers! For those who know me, I'm more of an OC person. But ever since I set eyes on Age of Ultron, I fell deeply for Scarlet Witch. I find she is the most complex, beautiful and badass characters Marvel has ever created. So I needed her to have a bit of spotlight in my works. Which is why I have started this. I know where I am going, but don't know how long it will take or what might happen in-between point A (his chapter) and point B (the epilogue). So, enjoy!_

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**_Disclaimer:_**** All characters depicted here are the property of Marvel Cinematic Universe; Marvel Comics; or Twentieth Century Fox. I only own the plot surrounding them.**

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_**Ad astra**_

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**1\. Grief**

* * *

Grief is a powerful thing. It could turn the most innocent person into a revengeful psychopath. Whether it made a father beat a assailant to death; or turned an otherwise gentle and happy girl into an empty shell; it always ravaged the surface of the Earth.

Wanda Maximoff knew that better than anyone. She had heard the cries of others, sensed their distress, felt their transformation as her soul grazed theirs. She should have known that it'd turn her too...

When she felt Pietro fall, it was as if her whole being had been torn in a million tiny pieces impossible to glue back together. The scream that exited her lips was enough to instantly strike and kill the dozens of androids that were hurrying her way. But that did not comfort her. More than anything, it made her wish to catch Ultron, and to tear his gears and strings one by one until he was bleeding oil onto the ground.

She was willing to die at that moment. She was already dead anyway, one half of her having been struck down by a volley of bullets. She had closed her eyes, waiting, when a pair of strong arms had picked her up and had flown away, a gentle mind touching hers and soothing her pain.

Her first encounter with Vision had been a shock. She had never before met a being like him: neither human nor machine, he had the widest soul she had ever touched, and wisdom poured from his very skin. When he had told her to rest, his eyes somehow lulling her to sleep, she had slept a dreamless night and a dreamless day. And when she awoke, he was there, waiting, as he stood by the sole window in the quarters she had been given in the Helicarrier.

They had spoken for hours. He listening to her and answering her questions, though often speaking up to try and make her understand that her twin's death was not an end in itself. He felt, she was certain, that she was tensing both physically and mentally, and that she could not, at that time, agree, but he carried on, his eyes conveying much patience and compassion.

* * *

Several days had passed before she could trust herself to leave the safety of her quarters. When she did, the Agent called Maria Hill – she had already seen her face in Tony Stark's mind and knew she had the face of an angel and the spirit of a warrior – came her way and announced that Nick Fury wanted to see her. She had numbly followed.

The man who was at the head of the former S.H.I.E.L.D., although it appeared to have been reformed, was a complex person whose mind buzzed with thoughts not altogether making sense. When their eyes met, his lips set in a thin line.

"Miss Maximoff, please, sit down." He paused, then tapped his temple. "And there's no need to linger in here. There's nothing of value to you in my mind."

She tilted her head to the side, her eyes flashing crimson for a second. "I disagree, Colonel." But she did as she was asked, not caring anyway about what he was thinking about. Namely, about the disappearance of the green beast.

When she sat down, she assessed the huge room she had been brought to. Obviously, this served as deck for the whole building. A swarm of uniform-clad men and women incessantly tapped on their keyboards, relaying pointless information through their microphones while their screens lit up with faces, places or systems all mixed up in a less than charming dance.

Before her, the immense window giving on the sea below, and four screens standing in a circle. No doubt the Colonel's own place – she had seen him stand there in his own memories.

All the while, he kept his sole eye on her, staring at her as she glanced around, apparently indifferent to what she saw. Then, when her gaze trailed back to him, he pushed a folder towards her side of the table.

Wanda took it in her hands, and flipped the cover open. Her heart clenched when she saw a photograph of her and Pietro as they manifested in the capital of Sokovia many years prior. A finger nimbly went to caress the image of her brother. Her eyes, again flashing red, met the Director's. "What do you want from me?"

He shrugged. "I thought you would have guessed by now, Miss Maximoff. You and your brother made a choice in our fight against Ultron. You chose to join us. To become Avengers. I would want you to join in a more permanent way. We are in desperate need of someone with your talents."

Wanda felt her hands start to tremble, although in rage or fear, she did not know. "You want to use me as Ultron did."

"No. Ultron did not really tell you his ulterior motives, did he?"

She smirked, a hard, severe look settling on her face. "And you would?"

"I doubt I can have any secrets for you..." he tapped at his temple again. "I am offering you a choice. To join us, to train to become an Avenger, to save the Earth from the countless other bastards that will come to harm it. And, if need be, to travel to other realms in search of aid."

She tilted her head to the side again, but did not speak. She knew what he meant by 'other realms'. She had seen Asgard in Thor's mind, had seen the wonders of Alfheim and Vanaheim in his memory. She had also seen his brother, falling as a Dark Elf plunged a blade in his chest. It made her squeeze her own eyes shut. A brother, falling dead, saving another one's life... She did not need another reminder.

So instead, she pushed a fist onto the table. "If I join you and your team, I want something in return."

Fury nodded once. "If I can, and wish to offer it, I will."

"I want my brother's body to be kept safe and close to me."

The thought had plagued her many nights. She could not bear the idea of Pietro's body rotting away in the earth, a small sign for company. It did not make him justice. And she would not stand for it.

To her surprise, Fury's mouth stretched into a strange smile. "I had guessed as much. Your brother's body has been kept, since his fall, into a cryotube in this very facility. Feel free to 'visit'," he said the word with a pinch of cruelty, "anytime you want."

Wanda stood, the gesture abrupt and obviously making the powerful Director jump a little in fear she would try something on him. His hand trailed, almost invisible, to his belt where, she knew, he kept a gun. With a smirk of her own and a flick of her wrist, she made the folder fly back to him, and with a simple "I'll join", she exited the room.

* * *

Later that day, she walked into the room indicated by Maria Hill, and fell to her knees. Pietro's face, eyes closed as if in a peaceful slumber, was taunting her from the other side of a glass tube, his body wrapped in a white bandage-like cloth. She felt her lips turn up in rage, and her hands glowed red for a second before she realised she had no right to be angry for what she saw. Pietro's murderer had been killed. By the same person who had saved her life.

She did not think it was any coincidence.

So, as she pushed a feeble hand to the glass as if caressing her beloved brother's cheek, she muttered an oath she would strive to live by.

"I swear to everything we ever held dear, brother, that I will bring you back to life. If it is the last thing I do."

On the other side of the door, a purple-skinned entity closed his eyes, and sighed.

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**_A/N2: _**_It's a very short chapter, I know, but needed to plant the story. I promise longer chapters in the future. In the meantime, please review!_


	2. Determination

_A/N: Hi readers! Before I leave you with this second chapter, I wanted to thank all those who have already put alerts on this story. After a little mini-chapter, no less. It really is appreciated. Truly. I hope I don't disappoint on the long term. ;)_

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**_Disclaimer:_**** All characters depicted here are the property of Marvel Cinematic Universe; Marvel Comics; or Twentieth Century Fox. I only own the plot surrounding them.**

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_**Ad Astra**_

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**2\. Determination**

* * *

Determination was a powerful weapon. If used for good, it could lift mountains and save millions. If used for bad, it could annihilate whole countries and decimate entire populations. It was able to do beautiful things, and horrible ones.

It could make you do things you had never thought of before, turning you into either a better person or a worse.

Wanda knew that. She could feel her determination to save her brother seep through her veins like ice. It was turning her insides to glass. There were moments when she could not feel anything else than that, determination. Not empathy, not pain, not anything, but that: the wish to carry her plan through. To bring back Pietro to life.

* * *

"_Maximoff!_"

Wanda's eyes shone a deep crimson as she raised her hands in a protective stand. A shield of red magic protected her from the blast that War Machine, her training acolyte for the day, had sent her way. With another flick of her wrist, the metal man flew back, and the audible cry of pain he let out was proof that the landing had not been a gentle one.

The young witch looked up and through the glass that separated the training room from the observation one. She could see Captain America and Black Widow, the former looking at James as he stood, the latter shaking her head as she stared right at Wanda.

She stared back, her head tilting to the side as she let her mind flow to the most experienced woman. She had seen things in that mind, things that would plague her nights for years to come, but somehow, she also was the person she could relate to the most in the Avengers' facility. Between two women who had lost everything they had ever loved...

The Widow's voice erupted in her earpiece again. "_Next time, try not to make it appear too easy..._"

Wanda smirked. "Sorry."

War Machine strolled to her, his mask off. He was slightly limping and one of his mechanic arms was launching sparks into the air. "Yeah, just once I'd like to make you sweat, Wands."

She hissed. "Don't. Call me. That."

Black Widow's chuckle came down to them. "_Cap, I think our recruit needs a code name._"

The Captain nodded absent-mindedly. He was no doubt preparing his umpteenth speech to the team. How they had to act as a group rather than separate entities. That they had to trust each other. Wanda was cringing at the thought. There was only one person she had ever trusted in her life, and it wasn't any of the four she had been tasked to team up with...

"_Dismissed. For now,_" the old man announced. Rhodes sighed in relief and leaned to rest his hands on his metal knees.

Wanda passed him, chin up, and launched a mere "Next time you'll perhaps last a full five minutes, War Machine..." before she exited the room.

_War Machine._ What a stupid name. _Falcon_, she could comprehend. _Black Widow_, made sense. _Hawkeye_, yes. _Iron Man_, perhaps. But _Captain America_, _War Machine_ and, even worse, _The Vision_, sorry, but no.

If they ever gave her a stupid code name like that, she'd quit. For real.

* * *

"I heard that you have not been easy on our poor James today..."

Wanda turned from the window, where she had been admiring the sea of grass beyond the fence. _He_ was standing there, casually, for once not floating in the air, and without the hideous golden cape he had decided to wear in homage to one of his creators, Thor.

She smiled. It was the only times she ever truly smiled, when he was there. "My mind was elsewhere."

He smiled back. "It's happening too often for your own good, young one..."

She hated when he called her that. And he knew it. "Have you come here to chastise me like a mere infant?"

He shook his head, looking horrified that she could ever think that of him. "No! I just..." he silenced himself, and at the same time did not. A gentle caress through her mind made her lower her mental barriers, and his soul – but was it truly a soul? – touched hers. "_I wanted to know how you were coping._"

Wanda sighed and let herself fall onto the armchair she had moved from corner to corner in the room until she found it an acceptable place: facing the door, where she could see anyone enter. "_I am not coping._"

"_So I sense..._" he walked to her and sat facing her on the coffee table. His blue irises, circled with those strange dark patterns, seemed to bore into her own brown ones. "_You need to be at peace, Wanda._"

"_I can't be at peace. I doubt I will ever be at peace..._" She could feel tears prickle her eyes, and wiped them away angrily.

He caught the act. "_Why don't you allow yourself to cry?_"

"_Because crying is a weakness, and I need to be strong. For him. For Pietro._" Just thinking his name sent a new lump in her throat. It was so heavy that she wished she could tear her own skin apart to stop feeling altogether.

He took her hand, and she calmed down at once. Touching him had always had this effect on her. "_Wanda..._" their eyes met again, "_Pietro would not want you to destroy yourself like this..._"

And he showed her. Through his artificial mind, he brought images of the twins back when they were still two. Back when it was still them against the rest of the world. Back when Pietro's hand was always safely tucked into hers, protecting her from the outside...

She stood, breaking contact, both physical and mental. She did not look at him as she strolled to the door. "I don't need your pity, Vision..."

She needed to see him.

* * *

Every time that her feet brought her to her brother's side, she felt a dooming mixture of excruciating pain and deep calm. Sitting there, facing his frozen form, talking to him as if he could still answer, it always brought her peace.

How ironic...

This time however, her lonely grieving was interrupted by a lone figure. She did not see him often, but when she did, he either brought her comfort or antagonized her entirely.

Clint sat next to hers and sighed deeply as his grey eyes ran on Pietro's corpse. "Vision said I'd find you here."

She nodded, her eyes never leaving the glass. "You wanted to see me?"

He nodded back and reached inside his body-armour, producing a photograph she glanced at at once. It was picturing a small babe, no more than four months old, with a toothless smile as big as the sun. He had blue eyes, but they were darker than the last time she had seen an image of him.

Despite her better judgement, Wanda smiled at the photograph. "How is Nathaniel?"

Barton chuckled. "He's a pain in the ass. Like you, mate!" he pointed at the glass facing him as though Pietro could hear him.

Wanda's eyes trailed from Nathaniel's tiny face to her brother's, and the smile faded. "He'd be proud your child bears his name."

"I surely hope so. Pietro isn't an easy name to carry right now..." He chuckled, and she followed, albeit a little less enthusiastically.

"It is...in Sokovia."

"Yeah, no thanks." He winced.

After that, they remained silent, enjoying the company of each other, and Wanda felt at peace once more.

Clint Barton had approached her quickly after the battle against Ultron. He said he wished to thank her for Pietro's sacrifice, and she had sent him away, helping the process with a 'little' nudge. But he had come back again, and again, until she agreed to let him talk to her.

He had been deeply moved by her twin's death. Granted, he did not know him well, but he had understood their hardship at a glance, and in his own words, he was certain they would have "gotten on like a house on fire". Naming his newborn son like Pietro had been an easy thing for him. It hadn't been that easy for Wanda.

She had nothing against the symbol at all. She wasn't completely cold, she saw why her twin brother had saved the archer. He was a good man, and those were hard to come by nowadays.

What she was against was the fact that little Nathaniel constantly reminded her that her brother was dead. And _that_ hurt like a bitch.

* * *

When Barton and her went back to the common room – a mix between a living-room and a cafeteria – there was a gathering of some sort. Thor had come back down from his realm with good news: the Dark Elves had had attacked his world and Earth at the same time had been entirely restrained.

It was a time for celebration, apparently. And after Clint nudged Wanda a little in the ribs, she agreed to at least take part. For an hour or two.

Black Widow, or Natasha as she wanted to be called when off duty, strolled to them and engaged in a conversation with her former partner. One involving, unsurprisingly, Clint's offspring. Wanda walked away a little, leaving the two alone.

Rhodes and Wilson – Falcon's real name – where sipping on beers while eyeing some female agents who were talking not far. Wanda shook her head. Men were always the same. She didn't even need her powers to know what they were thinking about.

Contrarily to what she would have done some time prior, she headed towards where Thor and Vision were standing, engrossed in a heated conversation about, there again, no surprise, Mjöllnir. The God's hammer had always been a favourite topic of the pair, especially on the android's side. The fact that he was deemed worthy of its power was a reason in itself.

When Thor saw her approach, he cleared his throat and set aside the tall pint of ale he had been carrying. "Young witch," he greeted while bowing the head.

"Thor," she answered, a little indifferently though her mind buzzed with questions.

"How do you ail?"

"Relatively well, I should say." She was not interested in sharing her pains with a man she barely knew, so instead, she glanced at her purple-skinned companion. "Don't let me interrupt you."

Vision shook his head, the yellow gem embedded on his forehead glistening for a second. Knowing what it meant, Wanda lowered her shield, and felt his now familiar mind touch hers. "_Are you better?_"

She mentally nodded. "_I am sorry for earlier._"

"_It is quite alright._"

Thor's eyes danced from one to the other. "I obviously am...disturbing..."

Wanda raised a hand. "No, please. I dream of hearing more about your Asgard. What I have seen in your mind wasn't...well...it didn't answer all of my questions."

Thor raised a brow at her tone. In truth, she should have sounded sorry to have invaded his mind all those months prior, but she wasn't. Not one bit. Invading people's mind had been her life since Ströker had 'optimized' her, and she found that it should have been them who would have had to apologize. Some thoughts and souls were downright awful to touch. Like that man's in Wakanda. The one whose arm had been severed by Ultron. She did not remember his name, and did not care to.

The God ended up talking animatedly about his birth-place, how the Allfather's halls glittered with gems and jewels and how its walls were made of pure gold. How his father, the late Frigga, had made sure that everywhere you looked, you saw gardens...

But to be honest, it was another part that caught Wanda's attention.

* * *

She had wondered for days on end how Thor could have lived for so long. He wasn't immortal, he had said so, but he was thousands of years old and _that_, she could not comprehend.

In fact, when he brought up the topic of the Idunn Apples, all of her ears – both in and out – were open, listening to each detail.

Apples. Fruits that, if eaten each decade, rejuvenated you and made you stronger, handsomer, and mostly made you live longer. That was interesting. Very interesting, since Thor was adamant: even a mortal, a human, could eat them and become an Asir...well, almost anyway. He was intending to give some to his beloved Jane, but that part, Wanda's mind blocked it altogether.

Idunn Apples. Maybe _that_ would bring Pietro back.

She needed to go to Asgard.

* * *

_A/N2: I may have said it before - I honestly don't remember - but I'm going to go back and forth in this story, using all the Marvel mythology I can. So prepare yourselves to see many characters features in the MCU or not at all - like Simon Williams, and I'm sure the non-readers wonder who the heck he is. See you next time!_


	3. Anticipation

_A/N: Hi there everyone! I'm sorry for the late update - after the first two chapters, I bet you expected quicker updates - but I'm back! Life is being a little busy right now, which is why I find less and less time to write those many fanfics I've started. But don't worry, this will go smoothly and I intend to finish it. ;)_

_Without further ado, here's the third chapter!_

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**_Disclaimer:_**** All characters depicted here are the property of Marvel Cinematic Universe; Marvel Comics; or Twentieth Century Fox. I only own the plot surrounding them.**

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_**Ad Astra**_

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**3\. Anticipation**

* * *

Anticipation was always considered a positive emotion. When you were anticipating something, all the nerves in your body were set on knowing the issue of the matter would be a pleasant one. Such as anticipating the arrival of a friend; or anticipating the newest toy in a series you collected.

But anticipation could also be a negative emotion, when twisted. When anticipating something that obsessed you to the point where nothing else matter, then it could jeopardize your whole life, and that of your closest friends.

Wanda Maximoff was anticipating a trip to Asgard, and her finding of the Idunn Apples. It was her latest obsession, and nothing could ever make her change her course of mind.

* * *

She had taken to quieting her mind by practising for hours on end on her magic, producing balls of red matter that she threw at various moving and unmoving targets, as well as try what Black Widow had gotten to call 'your own version of tai-chi': she was breathing deep and lounging into complicated positions before letting her magic out. It was the only time when her mind was at ease. Sort of.

In truth, she was trying to find a way to make Fury accept a mission on Asgard. She could manipulate his mind into thinking that it was urgent, but when they arrived and saw that it wasn't...well, she would rather avoid uncomfortable questions.

She didn't know yet that her prays would be answered. If only she had sought off the right person earlier...

Days were usually quiet at the Avengers' facility. Days spent either training or going through boring files as Fury or Hill reviewed the qualities needed to be sent onto the field. More often than not, Captain America would make a speech about his trainees' ups and downs. Mostly their downs. And Black Widow would nod.

Wanda was not the only person who was tired of not being able to go out of the facility. Falcon wanted to make his wings useful, for once, instead of pointlessly learning to shoot moving targets _again_ – he was, after all, military trained. Rhodes was more pissed at not being able to team up with his long-time friend Stark than anything else. And Vision stubbornly assessed that he did not need any training and would rather make himself useful.

But the Director never relented.

Instead he made the training harder and longer, so that, at the end of the day, neither of the four still wanted to question his motives.

Wanda felt trapped. Trapped and used.

And she hated that with a passion.

* * *

"_Maximoff, report to the meeting-room._"

Wanda sighed, clicking her earplug on. "Right away."

She unwrapped her hands of the bandage she had used to box the punching-ball and pulled her hair up in a ponytail, biting her lip as she wondered what the meeting was about. The last one had been a pointless discussion about code names and their uselessness.

She had been given the code-name Scarlet Witch. And she wasn't sure she liked it yet.

"Have you heard?" _His_ voice came from the changing-room's door, and she turned, nodding slightly. "I feel this is the moment we have all been waiting for."

Wanda smirked. "You most of all."

"Do not pretend you are not tired of running around in circles, young one. I know you would be lying." He mirrored her smile.

She put her trainers back into her locker and, with a flick of her wrist, the door closed and locked behind her. "Shall we?"

He gestured her forward, following her into the corridor.

Wanda's eyes raked over his form and an eyebrow raised. "You have shed that cape of yours."

He shrugged. "Contrarily to popular opinion, I do not need to wear it at all times."

She chuckled.

* * *

Vision and Wanda had spent more and more time together as time passed. He was always trying to make her forget about her aim to bring back Pietro, but scarcely voiced it anymore. Whenever they would converse, either audibly or silently, he would instead ask her how she was taming her powers and finding her limits.

She had found she was even more powerful than Ströker or Ultron ever anticipated.

And he was helping her find her limits, and playing with them until they faded and she was her own master.

But every time she reached a new level of skills, her thoughts invariably went to Pietro and how proud he would be of her, and in that moment, she lost all control, her mind taking over the peace in her heart and sending her powers haywire.

She still needed him alive. More than ever perhaps. For the more powerful she got, the more dangerous she got also. Unbeknownst to anyone in S.H.I.E.L.D. Except _him_.

* * *

"Ah, Vision, Maximoff, sit down. We're still one short." Fury gestured the two newest addition to join the group at the table.

Surprisingly, a good part of the Avengers past and present were there. Tony Stark was teasing Agent Hill, as he usually did, and Wanda made a point of choosing a chair as far from him as possible – he still put her on edge even after all these months; Rogers and Thor were sat next to each other, the Asgardian wearing normal human clothes, for once – perhaps he had gone to visit his long-term lover again, who knows; and Widow and Barton were sitting next to each other, although remaining silent. Rhodes and Wilson were absent.

Wanda chose a seat next to Clint, unsurprisingly, and the archer greeted her with a smile and a pat on the hand. Vision sat next to her, his blue eyes scanning the group in presence as he crossed his hands on the glass table.

"Hey there. How you been?"

Wanda smiled at Barton. "I've been fine. What about you?"

"Good, good." his smiled faltered. "Although the reason we've been called here does not bode well..."

She nodded, her brow furrowed. He was right, of course. This whole meeting, two groups merging in one...it only meant trouble.

When, at last, Rhodes and Wilson arrived, Fury nodded at Hill who put a folder in front of each party. Wanda opened it swiftly and froze when one of the three pictures she was shown brought back very bad memories. Her eyes flicked to the side and met Vision's, and her gaze went to the stone embedded on his forehead. Then back to the folder.

"The Infinity Stones, Director?" Thor asked, his big hands fidgeting with the image of the Tesseract. "This is why you have called us here?"

Fury nodded. Behind him, on a screen, the three pictures popped to life. Each stone gleamed in the faint darkness of the room as if they were alive. "It has come to our impression that three of them reappearing at the same could not be a coincidence. In fact, it was you, Thor, who brought the subject back onto the table. You said that you had experienced a...dream," his eyes went to Wanda, "in which you saw the stones."

The God nodded. "Aye, I did! The Tesseract, the Soul Gem and the Ether. Three of six."

Wanda frowned even more upon hearing this. One stone had brought her her powers but also pain and misery. She was alone in the world now, because of a stone. And now Thor was saying that there were six of them? It was not a problem to hear she had been the one to trigger his visions; as usual, she felt no regret in using her powers. She had been fighting for her life, back then. What was troubling was that she had not seen it in his thoughts that there were three more.

"Which brings us here today. We do not know where the three last stones are, but we know that two of them are already missing."

Thor's eyes widened. "It is not possible!" He stood. "Lady Sif carried the stones herself to a trusted third party! He would never lose them!"

Fury gestured the god to calm down and waited for him to sit down. "We have received word from Asgard. From your...Heimdall. You were away," he added, seeing as Thor was about to question why he had not been the recipient of this information, "and he said that the Tesseract and the Ether had been taken. He did not say by whom."

"Someone would have a good idea. But he's dead." Eyes turned to Stark, who shrugged. "Reindeer Games."

Thor's brow lifted. "Loki?"

"Well, he attacked us for the Tesseract and with the Soul Gem," the genius pointed at Vision. "Surely the man he served was not an idiot and knew what he was after."

There was a pregnant pause, and then Thor nodded. "Yes, no doubt my brother would have known who was after the gems. But now, we cannot know."

"Which bring us to the main topic here," Fury clicked on the table and three other images popped onto the screen: three empty shapes fit for the three last stones. "We have to find them before this...someone...does."

There was common rumour of agreement around the table, and then Clint cleared his throat, making all eyes turn to him. "Why don't we go to Asgard? Ask Thor's father?"

Thor nodded. "I will go and ask him myself."

Fury lifted a hand and shook his head. "No. Barton is right. We need a delegation to go. In case. If Odin knows something, where a stone is, then Asgard may not be safe. I do not doubt your people's ability to defend your city," he added as Thor's face became redder by the second, "but if something bad happens, I'd rather know first hand. Last time, the Bifrost was destroyed and we didn't hear from you for two years."

The god seemed to accept the argument and nodded.

Fury then paused, seemingly in thought. "Vision, you should go. I believe you could sense a stone if one was nearby." The android nodded with a satisfied smile. He would go out at last. "Thor, Rogers, of course. And Maximoff."

Her eyes snapped to the Director in shock. "Me?"

"Yes, you. You have magic. Something that isn't in short supply on Asgard. You'll be needed if things go south." He pressed another button and the screen behind him went off, the room lighting up to life again. "You'll live tomorrow."

* * *

Wanda stood from the table in a daze, her first instinct to go to Pietro and tell him the news.

But before she could do that, Vision caught her hand and her attention. His blue eyes were hard and serious when she met them, and she swallowed as his mind touched hers in this familiar way that was theirs.

"_Don't do anything foolish._"

She smiled and broke physical contact. "_Never._"

But as she walked away, her thoughts were set on one thing: getting those Idunn Apples and save her brother. And she found herself longing for departure...

* * *

**_A/N2: _**_Next chapter, we go to Asgard. And meet Odin. Or was it Loki? I honestly can't remember. :P_


	4. Secrecy

_A/N: I'm back! Sorry for the delay, it's beginning to be hard to write five stories up front. So I can promise one chapter twice a month, but no more. Sorry 'bout that, but if you bear with me, it'll be worth it._

_I also wanted to thank lokiAU10 for his/her (never asked your gender I realised) kind ideas and suggestions about Simon and his future appearance. No too long now, I promise. ;)_

* * *

**_Disclaimer:_**** All characters depicted here are the property of Marvel Cinematic Universe; Marvel Comics; or Twentieth Century Fox. I only own the plot surrounding them.**

* * *

_**Ad Astra**_

* * *

**4\. Secrecy**

* * *

Secrecy is what makes the world we live in. Everyone we look, someone has a secret to keep. Whether it is their own – a lover they can't admit they had; a mistake they made when they were younger and more naïve – or someone else's, everyone has a secret to keep.

Secrecy can destroy homes, can form a rift between friends and families, can abide to foes and enemies alike. Secrecy is a very dangerous thing.

And someone on Asgard was keeping a very nasty secret. One to be soon uncovered by our heroin.

Ever since it had been decided that she'd go on Asgard with Vision, Captain America and Thor, Wanda had felt trepidation and impatience. She'd spent less and less time training with the others and more and more time with Pietro's still face, promising things she should have known were not all possible to live by. But she did not care.

Seeing her brother's frozen features was like a burn to her soul, one that would never be healed until she found a way to bring him back. In crazed moments, she could swear she had seen his fingers twitch or his eyes open. She would never tell anyone, knowing they'd think her mad, but it brought her hope to imagine those movements.

Asgard was her best shot yet at finding something to save her brother. Idunn Apple's. She had once again read everything there was about them, how they were originally kept in the care of the Goddess Idunn herself before her untimely demise at the hands of Fenrir the Great Wolf. They had then been given, along with the three that grew them, to Queen Frigga, who had kept it in her own gardens.

And now Frigga herself was dead, Wanda could only hope that Odin had kept the tree safe.

But then, if he hadn't, would he knowingly bring death upon himself and his people? She did not think so. Leaders had always that same fault: they always did whatever they could to please the crowds. Was it keeping them immortal or killing millions, it was always the same.

* * *

The morning the group of four was due to leave, Wanda found herself in the locker room with Black Widow. The older woman had requested her presence so that she'd show her her new S.H.I.E.L.D. outfit to replace the black dress and red jacket she always wore.

Wanda did not care for the garment. It was made of spandex, like the Captain's outfit, something that in itself meant it was horrid; and made of a dark colour that would surely not compliment her pale skin and dark eyes.

But the Widow would not relent, and so she agreed to put the offensive thing on, knowing in the back of her mind that as soon as she was able, she'd conjure the thing off. She looked at herself in the lengthy mirror of the room and her nose turned up in disgust. She looked awful.

"There. Don't look that offended. Agent Hill pulls that thing off alright."

"Agent Hill is not graced with magical powers." She sneered, and Natasha looked at her reflection with a frown.

"You are always angry, child. Calm yourself, or you might well start a war we do not wish on our hands."

"How could I start a war with Asgard? Thor is one of your most trusted allies!" It was something that had not even grazed her mind, the possibility of antagonizing the Allfather. To be honest, she did not really care any way.

"Odin is not very fond of magicians." The Widow squeezed Wanda's shoulder almost to the point where it hurt. "Loki was one, and see what good it did us."

Wanda tilted her head to the side but did not answer. Fury had assigned her to the mission _because_ she had magic, and now she learnt that Asgardians were weary of magicians? Well, if they tried anything on her, she'd give them a taste of her wrath. And damn the consequences. She had enough been manipulated by men who kept secrets. No more. Whatever the Director's agenda was, she wanted no part in it.

So she nodded in fake assent, and turned to leave the room.

Her outfit squeaking as if she had been wearing plastic.

* * *

Vision had once again decided to wear the obnoxious yellow cape over his usual purple appearance, but upon seeing Wanda looking so uncomfortable in her own clothes, he frowned, and a second later, his purple body had taken a more sombre dark grey hue. She flashed him a thankful smile just as Thor and Rogers joined them.

They were standing just outside the facility, where the Bifrost had already burnt the grass and left its imprint. Fury was there, Hill also, and while the Director gave them his last orders – mainly to make sure they returned unscathed and they didn't start a war, just as Black Widow had said – his assistant was tapping away on her tablet's screen. Wanda was tempted to scan her thoughts to know exactly what she was doing, but didn't really care as long as it didn't concern herself.

Then, at last, Fury and Hill moved away from the site and Thor entered the circle of runes, gestured his companions to do the same and, when they were all four squeezed inside it, he raised the arm wielding Mjöllnir and called for Heimdall.

Wanda didn't believe her own eyes at what happened next.

* * *

She had witnessed the Bifrost's wonders before, either in Thor's mind or from the facility's windows, but living it was much different.

A beam of light first engulfed her and her companions, and when she felt her feet leave the concrete ground, she could not repel a squeal of surprise. She was floating at the highest speed she knew, colours flowing around her at such speed that it looked as if she had entered the heart of a rainbow, and she could see round discs fly by, their colours dimmed by the beam of light. Worlds, she thoughts, planets. That's what she was seeing.

The journey lasted no more than a minute. As quickly as it had taken them, the beam of light threw them all on a hard tiled floor. Wanda and Rogers fell to the knees while Thor and Vision landed gracefully on the coloured tiles and smiled up at Asgard's guardian.

Wanda groaned as she stood and looked over her shoulder. Behind her, nothing but the immensity of a starry sky, similar to the one she could see at night on Earth. Except she could see the light of day outside the bubble they were in, and that puzzled her greatly.

Heimdall was indeed a giant of a man. With his deep golden – almost orange – eyes and black skin, he looked like a Titan of old. She stared at him until his eyes fell on her and for the first time in her life, Wanda Maximoff felt little. He kept his golden irises trailed on her for a long moment, and the turned line of his lips told her that Thor's tales had not been lies: Heimdall had seen all of their lives before his own gaze. He had seen what she had done. And he did not approve.

"Dear Heimdall, we are here to see the Allfather!" boomed Thor, and the guardian nodded in answer.

"The Allfather is waiting for you," he answered in a deep baritone voice. "But he has requested that you settled your friends down in their quarters first, for he is presently meeting with generals from Alfheim."

Thor nodded with a beaming smile. "Very well!" then he turned to his companions and added, "I'll introduce you to the Warrior Three! Come!"

Wanda internally cursed, for she had no wish to meet the 'Warrior Three' at all, but one look from Heimdall and she knew she had better run behind the three men and not question Thor's choice of activity. She'd have to watch her back during her stay, and she had not counted on that. Stealing Idunn Apples would probably be more difficult than she first thought...

* * *

The golden bubble that hosted the Bifrost had already been a beauty in itself, but nothing could possibly prepare Wanda for the sight of the Rainbow Bridge and the Asgard beyond. The bridge was impossibly beautiful, and yet it was very difficult to describe it. Only that it seemed made of pure light. Light that would have been cut in all the colours of the spectrum, from a deep magenta to the lightest of reds. She stared at it for long moments before she realised she had fallen back from her companions, and ran to catch up.

Vision looked back at her, ans smiled, his mind grazing hers at once. "_You look contemplative. It is a welcomed change._"

She kept her eyes set on the city on the horizon, with its crystal clear domes and golden pillars. "_I have never seen anything like it._"

"_Yes, it is without equal._" He nodded his assent, and remained silent.

Yes, Asgard was without equal. Without any doubt.

* * *

Once they reached the city, Thor took the group through mazes of streets and market-places. Many Aesir bowed their heads on their wake, but their prince seemed not to notice any of them as he strode through the crowds, engrossed in a tale he was trying to tell Rogers. Who didn't seem like he was listening either.

The palace was made of gold and diamonds. Three high towers rose into the purple sky like glass spears, the light of the sun shining through them as if through ice. Wanda was amazed.

Even more so when they entered and she could glance at the delicately sculpted pillars, the runes engraved on the gold so fine that it looked at if the metal was soft wood.

"Come!" Thor boomed to three people who had been standing in the middle of a corridor. "These are our guests!" He snaked an arm around one man's shoulders, and beamed at his three Midgardian colleagues.

The man he had taken in such a brotherly embrace was almost as tall as himself, with short golden hair that was combed to one side. He also had a golden moustache and goatee, and he looked like a man who knew his charms and played them to perfection. His eyes fell on Wanda easily, but she ignored his blue inquisitive gaze, knowing all-too-well the vanity of such men.

The second man was shorter, with jet-black hair and a complexion that was not without reminding her of Asians. His eyes were long and resembled those of cats, and he was dressed in deep black clothes, giving him an austere look emphasized by the frown on his lips.

The third person was a female. She was taller than Wanda and lean and muscular. She was clad in an armour that clung to her form like a second skin, and kept one hand trained on the hilt of her sword. Her long black hair was loose and she was smiling at the group in a welcoming smile.

"I am Lady Sif. But I prefer only 'Sif'." she said, and Rogers answered with his usual 'Madam' that made Wanda roll her eyes. "This is Hogun." she gestured to the severe man at her side, "and this stupid flirt, is Fandral." The blonde man grinned a toothy smile towards his friend, then back at Wanda who kept a neutral figure.

"And these are my dearest companions on Asgard. Although Volstagg is missing, no doubt engrossed in his third meal today. Never mind, we'll see him later." Thor entangled his arm from around Fandral's shoulders, and gestured to Rogers. "This is Steve of Rogers, Captain of America; my Vision; and Miss Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch."

At the last word, Sif's eyes narrowed, but Wanda kept her mask on, trying not to feel too offended at the way the woman's face had tensed in a look of mistrust.

"Come now, let's meet Father!"

* * *

As soon as Thor had left the three in an enormous room that would be their chambers for the extent of their stay, Rogers and Vision started discussing what would their approach be with Odin, who was a notoriously proud person.

Meanwhile, Wanda strode to the balcony attached to the room and stood facing the Rainbow Bridge in the distance, and the sea of stars that was beyond. She felt a powerful need to see her brother, to have him by her side, to tell him how beautiful this whole place was and how she wanted never to leave. But then her heart constricted in her chest and she recalled feeling him falling, and the void it had left.

Her hands gripped the golden rail harder and the metal started buzzing with power as her anger channelled through it. When it became hot and started to melt under her touch, she flinched away and hissed. Not because she had hurt herself, but because she had defiled something that did not belong to Earth.

A gentle touch to her mind told her someone else had noticed her slip up, and she sighed while lowering her mind barriers.

"_Wanda? Are you alright?_"

She tried to make the anger fade, to no avail. "_I'm fine._"

"_No, you are not. Careful, young one, you are losing focus._"

She glared aimlessly over her shoulder and then back down at her outfit. She cursed in her mother tongue and waved her hands in the air. A faint smoke made of red magic waved over her, and when it dissipated, she was back in her comfortable black dress and fitting red jacket.

* * *

Thor came back to them nigh on two hours later. The Allfather would receive them at last.

Vision was swift in conjuring his golden cape back on, and silently chastised Wanda for her change in wardrobe, before they all followed the Prince of Asgard back in the maze of halls of his home-land.

The throne-room was immense, almost as big as one whole Helicarrier. The whole population of Asgard would have no trouble standing altogether in such a space, Wanda guessed. It was as impressive as it was ugly. Perhaps the first place on Asgard that made her think that, but she would keep the thought long after her first encounter with the place.

Odin sat on his throne, his staff held high next to him, almighty at the top of his stairs. His sole eye trained on the group approaching him, he waited for the four to have respectfully bowed – although Wanda hated the thought of bowing to anyone ever again – to address his son.

"You have asked for my counsel, son?"

Thor then began to explain to his father what exactly the Avengers were there for, and as the speech got longer, Wanda let her thoughts wander.

* * *

Odin looked like a weary old man in the memories Thor had 'shown' her of him. An old man tired of ruling, who had willingly passed on his powers to a less loved son while he was resting in his magical casket. But then, the man who was sitting before her was not the same man. Not really. He held himself with the ease of a young soul, and his eye was no longer weary but alert.

She wondered, and as her hands crossed behind her back, she glanced at Vision and smirked to herself. If she could...maybe just for a second...he'd never know...

So she stretched her psyche forward, ever so gently, so that it grazed Odin's as softly as it could to make sure he would not feel it.

But then, as she did catch a passing thought, Wanda gasped and retreated back in herself.

Odin was _not_ Odin.

Odin was _Loki_.

Well...perhaps this could be interesting...


	5. Empathy

_A/N: I'm back! I really love writing this story, it's out of my league... ;) I hope you're not getting bored, and for those who are still desperatly waiting for Simon to make an appearance, I promise he'll come round in three chapters at most. :)_

* * *

**_Disclaimer:_**** All characters depicted here are the property of Marvel Cinematic Universe; Marvel Comics; or Twentieth Century Fox. I only own the plot surrounding them.**

* * *

**_Ad Astra_**

* * *

**5\. Empathy**

* * *

Empathy was often thought of as a positive emotion, one that permitted someone to feel as others did, to feel close to them in their shared sentiments. But empathy could also be quite a dangerous emotion. Imagine yourself feeling as one very murderous person did, to feel as though his or her thirst for blood was indeed a good thing, a normal thing. Imagine yourself losing everything that made you yourself and becoming less.

Wanda Maximoff had felt empathy all but twice in her short life. The first time, she had been scanning the mind of one of the scientists that were assigned to experiment on her. The man had had his whole family hostage to Ströker and had lost all hope to ever hold his children in his arms again. The second time, it had been when scanning Black Widow's mind and implanting memories of a life she hated with all of her being.

But since then, and since _it_, Wanda had never felt close to anyone.

* * *

As she stared at 'Odin' as he was still discussing with his son, she did not feel empathy, far from it. She felt invigorated with a new purpose. She doubted anyone on Asgard knew that their beloved monarch was in fact his treacherous son in disguise. Maybe she could blackmail him into giving her Idunn's Apples. If she played this very important card right.

Vision grazed her soul with his, but she knew he'd see her plan unfold in her mind, and did not want him to see it. So she looked at him from the side and smiled, shaking her head slightly so he'd know she did not wish to converse. The android's eyes widened a bit, but he respected her wish.

In fact, she had _never_ to this date refused to speak with Vision in their shared mind. She relished in that connection, because she felt as though he was the only person who understood her in a way. And he wasn't even a person so to speak...

"...will help you find the remaining stones. One, I believe, was sighted in Vanaheim a good millenium ago. I will send the Warrior Three to retrieve it."

Wanda joined the conversation again, even if a big part of herself was not interested at all by what was being said. She had always been in danger, was it because of a war, of starvation or because she had put her trust in a soulless machine. Infinity stones did not sound half as bad as all that.

"They should be careful, Father. We do not know who is collecting the stones."

Odin nodded gravely, but Wanda, knowing the truth, saw a pinch of something else in the sole blue eye. He was not really worried. Perhaps he even wanted the Warrior Three to be harmed. "I will send warriors with them. Now," he put his staff on the ground so the sound echoed around the immense room again, "we should all go and have some sleep."

Thor smiled a big goofy smile, and bowed the head. His companions did the same, and they retreated from the room and into one of the countless corridors of the palace.

"That went relatively well," commented Rogers. Vision nodded and started to warn the Captain that if all stones were as powerful as the one he had, perhaps even four powerful Asgardians could not do much to contain them.

The woman at their side nodded absent-mindedly at everything they said. In truth, she could not feel further away from their worries.

* * *

When her companions were all ready to go for the evening meal, Wanda put on her best 'sick face' on and pretexted she had awful stomach pains. She was lying on her bed, doubled over, arms squeezed around her middle and knees up to her chest, moaning in pain as Vision sat beside her, blue eyes full of worry.

"Are you certain you do not wish me to see what is wrong?"

She shook her head and gritted her teeth. "It will pass. I think it might be the Bifrost. You three are much stronger than I am. But I can't possibly walk all the way, or eat anything. Go without me. I'll eat when I'm better."

The purple-skinned android stared at her for a moment and she kept on groaning, hoping he'd buy her lie. He did, for he put a gentle caress on her head before he stood and left her. Asking her to reach him should she ever need anything. She promised, but didn't think anything of it.

* * *

Once she was certain that her guard had gone far enough, Wanda stood and closed her eyes. Had they been open, they would have glowed a strong crimson hue. Her psyche flew in all direction, trying to find someone who would answer her question. She met with several souls as she did - maids and guards for the most part - and flew over them as their minds did not reflect what she needed to know.

When, at last, she found what she was looking for, she exited her given room and strode right, knowing with utter certainty the way to the rooms she seeked.

When at last she stood in front of a golden door, unguarded unlike the rest of the palace, Wanda glanced around and with a flick of her wrist, made herself invisible. She opened the door and entered the empty chambers beyond. The whole room was plunged into faint darkness as the only light that entered was the one of the sunset. A table lay, abandoned, a chair carelessly left astray from the others.

She studied the whole place carefully. Beyond the antichamber came a massive bedroom, a folded armour left on the bed as if it was waiting to be worn. It was a deep green colour, and beautiful to behold. Wanda played over the golden chest-plate with her fingers before withdrawing.

"You should not be here." came the severe and austere voice she had been waiting for. She had been broadcasting loud enough for him to catch her thoughts, and as she knew he was almost as good a sorcerer as she was, she counted on him to stop her from snooping.

When she turned around to glance at him, he was still in his Odin disguise. She tilted her head to the side, and plainly answered "I wished to speak to you. And what a better place to do this than your chambers, my Lord?"

The sole eye widened for a second, but then the staff was booming on the tiled floor. "I demand you leave, Midgardian."

"I will _not_. _Jotunn_." She had caught the name in someone's mind. She did not recall whose, but didn't care. It had sounded like an insult when she had caught the thought, and guessed it to be a good word to throw casually to display her knowledge.

* * *

Odin froze. He remained thus for a good minute before his hold on the staff relaxed, and a green hue waved off of his body to encompass the scene. Wanda could feel the magic in it as Odin's face and form faded from existence, replaced by a tall dark-haired and green-eyed man with an impossibly confident smirk on his lips.

"You are surprising, young woman. Who are you?"

"I am called Wanda Maximoff, but the Avengers call me Scarlet Witch."

"A witch?" he advanced on her, but not threateningly as he studied her. "What can you do?"

"All sorts of things. I can manipulate matter, make myself disappear, control people's minds. Read them." her brown eyes met his and he nodded, the smirk widening.

"Impressive. And you wished to speak to me?" She nodded once. "What for?"

Wanda gestured to her head. "It would be safer for this conversation to be mute."

"I shielded us from prying eyes and ears." Loki said, but his eyes had taken on an admirative look that left her unsure. "Yet you would want me to invade your thoughts."

"Thoughts are easier to understand than words."

"Indeed they are, Scarlet Witch." He outstretched a hand, and Wanda, not sure what to do with it, stared at the long white fingers until she felt a strong wave of magic assault her whole being.

If she had thought herself stronger than him before, she had been sorely mistaken. Loki was more powerful than anyone she had encountered, human or not. Next to him, Thor was a harmless puppy. His green aura locked around her own, that felt so little in comparison, and she felt him roam through thoughts and feelings until he was sated.

She understood why he had been admirative before. What he was doing was basically aggression on her very soul. Rape, some would call it. And yet she was letting him, because it served her purpose that he knew as much as he could about her and her motives.

* * *

After what felt like eternity, Loki withdrew. Wanda opened her eyes and realised she had fallen to her knees under the strong attack, and he helped her up, eyes filled with something she could recognize but had never had directed at her.

Empathy.

Loki was looking at her with a certain soft glint in his green eyes. He looked almost moved.

"You have had a rather peculiar existence, Wanda Maximoff. Filled with despair and pain." His hand was cold over hers, but it somehow brought some kind of comfort to her. "Such courage in such a small woman. I am impressed." He let her go and backed several paces, before her addressed the matter at hand. "Unfortunaly, what you seek is impossible."

Wanda felt a wave of strong anger wash over her. "What do you mean, impossible?"

"Your brother is dead, young one, and no apples of any kind can bring him back." Loki sounded apologetic as he said those words, and Wanda could do little but launch him glare after glare. "Your quest is a useless one. Courageous, but useless. I cannot help."

Wanda felt so enraged that a wave of crimson magic flew from her and struck the god in front of her. He had been taken aback by it, and as it touched him, the pink tint of his skin receded, leaving only dark blue behind. Green eyes turned to violent red before the mask fell back into place. She was staring at him, anger forgotten.

"Do not fret, child, the big bad Jotunn won't harm you." So this was what a Jotunn was. Frostgiant, Thor had once 'sent' her. Monsters in their own right, and yet Loki was not like them. Deadly, yes, but also strangely magnetic. "I almost feel enclined to offer a place at my side, Wanda Maximoff. I could teach you so many things." He closed his eyes and sighed. "Alas, I am now King, and cannot take on a magician to train without publicly announce my deceit."

Wanda pondered his words. He seemed to like her. True, she felt astrange pull to him too, but not in a carnal way. It was more like she had met her match and was curious to learn more. More and more, until she was nothing else but knowledge.

"I am sorry I cannot help you, truly." He sighed again. "You have to try and find another way, if there ever is one."

Wanda gritted her teeth. "You said my quest was a useless one."

"Yet here you are, human but enhanced. That science of yours can perhaps bring the answers I cannot." Loki advanced on her again, placing a cold hand on her cheek. "You remind me of myself. So full of anger. Prisoner of your own oaths." He pulled back, and the Odin mask was on in the blink of an eye. "I was glad to meet you, child. Perhaps we shall meet again." And with it, he strode back out of his own chambers.

* * *

Shortly after, Wanda fell to her knees, tears flowing from her eyes.

Useless. Her quest was useless.

* * *

_A/N: I find I am utterly unable to write anyone who hates Loki. I love him too much for that. But I feel like the connection between him and Wanda is genuine, don't you?_


End file.
